As the pop culture confab wrapped up its sold-out four-day gathering — which draws 130,000 attendees and transforms the Gaslamp Quarter into a mega entertainment playground — organizers held their annual “Comic-Con talkback” session to solicit feedback, good or bad, from the fans.

Rogers, taking notes throughout, was patient but circumspect, frequently refraining from offering clear-cut solutions. Not surprisingly, the infamously long lines to get into the more than 6,000-seat capacity Hall H were a common complaint, with several of the fans suggesting that the popular celebrity panels promoting TV shows and films be shown in a separate room or streamed on the web.

Many fans this year chose to camp out overnight or arrive in the pre-dawn hours in hopes of seeing cast members from “Game of Thrones” and “Breaking Bad” or to see up close film stars like Sandra Bullock, Hugh Jackman and the occasional surprise celeb, like this year’s Tom Cruise, there to talk up their upcoming movies.

Comic-Con fans line up to give their feedback on the four-day convention.
— Lori Weisberg

Comic-Con fans line up to give their feedback on the four-day convention.
— Lori Weisberg

“Last year I got in line for Hall H at 6 a.m. I did get in but it seems like every year you have to get in line earlier and earlier, and I think that’s unacceptable,” said Papool Chaudhari, who traveled from Texas for the convention. “San Diego should move to a three-tier system with the first tier reserved seating, and you sell separate badges. The other 3,000 seats camp out, and with the revenue you get (from selling reserved seats), use that for live simulcasts and exclusive footage at other locations... Is this acceptable are you OK with the possibility of having have to get in line at 2 a.m., midnight?

While Rogers could not say what might change to address the Hall H issue, he said he’s well aware of fans’ frustrations.

“We look at all this stuff every year, and what you propose would be a very different model we’d have to think about,” he said as a long line of attendees waited for their turn at the microphone. “It’s hard to say what we’ll do next year. We’ve discussed a lot of different ideas for Hall H, and a lot of them didn’t go forward, and I’m sure we’ll talk about that again. I had an idea of a wireless simulcast, but not sure it’s possible.

While some people slept, others gathered their belongings, still smiling after a night under tents while waiting for Hall H to open at the Convention Center. Samantha Esguerra, center, talks with Peter Jim, both waited since 11:00 pm the previous ...
— Peggy Peattie / /UT San Diego

Vince Gilligan, left, Executive Producer of the television show Breaking Bad and actors Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, and Anna Gunn speak at Hall H at Comic-Con. A mask from the character Walter White sits on the table.
— K.C. Alfred / UT San Diego

“And no, I don’t think it’s a great thing that everyone camps out. I wouldn’t want to do it.”

San Diegan Patty Malecke, an attendee for the last 10 years, offered her own solution for the long lines, suggesting that well-attended panels be held at Petco Park. Most irksome, though, are those who “cut in line,” joining a single person who comes early to grab a spot in the line, she said.